Dive Brief:
- According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, approximately 44,000 providers have applied for hardship exceptions from meaningful use to avoid Medicare penalties in 2015.
- Most of the providers who applied for the delay, which had a deadline of July 1, were new to the program. The CMS said applicants typically claimed they were unable to adopt systems that were certified under the most recent federal standards.
- Providers who fail to attest to meaningful use will be subject to a 1% reduction in Medicare payments during 2015. The department did not say how many of the applications were granted.
Dive Insight:
Providers and healthcare associations have been calling for changes to the program since a final rule was released this summer. Under the rule, providers would have to show that they were able to meet standards for a year to attest in Stage 2. Congress has introduced legislation that would require only a 90-day reporting period to attest to meaningful use in 2015.
Providers, particularly hospitals, have had a difficult time meeting the second stage of requirements. Physicians were able to apply for hardships if they were having "vendor issues." Those who qualify for exceptions will not receive cuts to their Medicare payments in 2015 and they will still be able to receive EMR incentive money if they are able to meet the requirements at a later date.
Want to read more? You may enjoy this story about how patient engagement is creating Stage 2 challenges for providers.
